REHEAT

RANKINE
CYCLE
HOW CAN WE INCREASE THE
EFFICIENCY OF THE RANKINE CYCLE?
The basic idea behind all the modifications to increase the thermal efficiency
of a power cycle is the same: Increase the average temperature at which heat is
transferred to the working fluid in the boiler, or decrease the average
temperature at which heat is rejected from the working fluid in the condenser.

Lowering the Condenser Pressure (Lowers Tlow,avg)

To take advantage of the increased
efficiencies at low pressures, the condensers
of steam power plants usually operate well
below the atmospheric pressure. There is a
lower limit to this pressure depending on the
temperature of the cooling medium
Side effect: Lowering the condenser
pressure increases the moisture content of
the steam at the final stages of the turbine.

The effect of lowering the

condenser pressure on the
ideal Rankine cycle. 2
Superheating the Steam to High Temperatures
(Increases Thigh,avg)
The effect of superheating the
steam to higher temperatures
on the ideal Rankine cycle.
Both the net work and heat input
increase as a result of
superheating the steam to a higher
temperature. The overall effect is
an increase in thermal efficiency
since the average temperature at
which heat is added increases.
Superheating to higher
temperatures decreases the
moisture content of the steam at
the turbine exit, which is desirable.
The temperature is limited by
metallurgical considerations.
Presently the highest steam
temperature allowed at the turbine
inlet is about 620°C.
3
Increasing the Boiler Pressure (Increases Thigh,avg)
For a fixed turbine inlet temperature,
the cycle shifts to the left and the Today many modern steam power
moisture content of steam at the plants operate at supercritical
turbine exit increases. This side pressures (P > 22.06 MPa) and
effect can be corrected by reheating have thermal efficiencies of about
the steam. 40% for fossil-fuel plants and 34%
for nuclear plants.

The effect of increasing the boiler

pressure on the ideal Rankine cycle. A supercritical Rankine cycle. 4
SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM

REHEAT RANKINE CYCLE

 1 3

5 4
 1. Heat added in the Boiler , QA :
Energy Balance:
Energy In = Energy Out

QReater QA + h2 + h6 = h1 + h3

QA = h1 + h3 - h2 - h6

s1 = s2
QPrimary P1 = P6 QA total = (h1 – h6 )+ ( h3 – h2 ), ( kJ/kg)

P2 = P3
--------- QA total = 𝑚ሶ [(h1 – h6 )+ ( h3 – h2 )], kW
s3 = s4

QA primary = 𝑚ሶ [(h1 – h6 ), kW
P4 = P 5
QA reheater = 𝑚ሶ [(h3 – h2 ), kW
 2. Turbine Work
Energy Balance:

h1 = h2 + WHPT
WHPT
WHPT = h1 - h2 , kJ/kg

WHPT = 𝑚(
ሶ h1 - h2) , kW

s1 = s2
P1 = P6
WLPT = h3 - h4 , kJ/kg
WLPT
P2 = P3
--------- s3 = s4 WLPT = 𝑚(
ሶ h3 - h4) , kW

P4 = P 5 WT = WHPT + WLPT

WT = (h1 - h2)+ (h3 - h4), kJ/kg

WT = 𝑚ሶ [(h1 - h2)+ (h3 - h4)], kW

 3. Pump Work, WP :
Energy Balance:
Energy In = Energy Out
h6
h5 W P + h 5 = h6
WP = h6 - h5 , kJ/kg

WP WP = 𝑚ሶ (h6 - h5 ), kW
s1 = s2
WP = v5( P6- P5), kJ/kg
P1 = P6
kJ/kg
P2 = P3
--------- Enthalpy, h6:
s3 = s4
h6 = WP + h5

h6 = v5( P6- P5) + h5, kJ/kg

WP P4 = P 5
 4. Heat Rejected in the Condenser , QR :

Energy Balance:

Energy In = Energy Out

QReater
WHPT h4 = QR + h5

QR = h4 – h5, ( kJ/kg)

s1 = s2 QR = 𝑚ሶ (h4 – h5), kW

QPrimary P1 = P6
WLPT 5. Work Net, WNET :
P2 = P3
---------
s3 = s4
Wnet = WT – WP = QA – QR

6. Cycle Thermal Efficiency, eth :

WP P4 = P 5 𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡
𝒆𝒕𝒉 =
𝑄𝐴
QR
𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡
𝒆𝒕𝒉 = 𝑄𝐴
x 100%
Problem 1:

Steam is the working fluid in an ideal rankine cycle with superheat and
reheat. Steam enters the first stage turbine at 8 MPa and 480 oC and
expands at 0.7MPa. It is then reheated at 440 oC before entering the
second stage turbine, where it expands to the condenser pressure of
0.008MPa. The net power output is 100MW.

a) Determine the cycle efficiency.

b) mass flow rate, 𝑚ሶ in kg/hr
 SOLUTION:
@ State 3: P3= 0. 7 MPa, 440 oC ,Table 3
@ State 1: P1= 8.0 MPa, 480oC, SH h3 = 3353.3 kJ /kg and s3= 7.7571 kJ/kg-K
h1 = 3348.4 kJ /kg and s1= 6.6586 kJ/kg-K
@ State 4: P4= 0.008 MPa, (s3 = s4) → SLVM
@ State 2: P1= 0. 7 MPa, SLVM s1 = s2
s2 < sg 6.7586 < 6.7080 Sf = 0.5926 kJ/kg-K, Sfg = 7.6361 kJ/kg-K,
Sf = 1.9922 kJ/kg-K, Sfg = 4.7518 kJ/kg-K,
hf = 173.88 kJ/kg, hfg = 2403.1 kJ/kg ,
hf = 697.2 kJ/kg, hfg = 2066.3 kJ/kg ,
s3 = s4
s1 = s2 s4 = sf + xsfg
s2 = sf + xsfg 7.7571 = 0.5926 + x4 (7.6361)
6.6586 = 1.9922 + x2 (4.7518) x4 = 0.9382
x2 = 0.9895 h4 = hf + xhfg
h2 = hf + xhfg = 173.88 + 0.9382(2403.1)
= 697.2 + 0.9895(2066.3) h4= 2428.5 kJ/kg
h2 = 2741.8 kJ/kg
SOLUTION:
Solving for cycle efficiency, e
@ State 5: sat. liquid @ 0.008MPa 𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡
𝒆𝒕𝒉 = 𝑄𝐴
h5 = 173.88 kJ /kg, hf @ 0.008MPa
QA total = (h1 – h6 )+ ( h3 – h2 ), ( kJ/kg
QA total = (3348.4 – 181.94 )+ (3353.3 – 2741.8 )
Solving for h6
QA total = 3777.96 kJ/kg
h6 = WP + h5
WT = (h1 - h2)+ (h3 - h4), kJ/kg
h6 = v5( P6- P5) + h5, kJ/kg
WT = (3348.4 - 2741.8)+ (3353.3 - 2428.5)
v5 =0.0010084 m3/kg, vf @ 0.008MPa WT = 1531.4 kJ/kg

h6 =0.0010084( 8000- 8) + 173.88 Wp = h6 - h5

h6 =181.94 kJ/kg Wp = 181.94 - 173.88

Wp = 8.06 kJ/kg
𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 𝑊𝑇 −𝑊𝑃 1531.4− 8.06
𝒆𝒕𝒉 = = =
3777.96
= 𝟒𝟎. 𝟑𝟒%
𝑄𝐴 𝑄𝐴
b. mass flow rate of steam, 𝑚ሶ in kg/h

Wcycle = 𝑚ሶ Wnet

𝑊𝑐𝑦𝑐𝑙𝑒
𝑚ሶ =
𝑊𝑁𝐸𝑇
100,000 𝑘𝐽/𝑠
𝑚ሶ = x 3600s/hr
1523.34 𝑘𝐽/𝑘𝑔

𝑚ሶ = 236,322.82 𝑘𝑔/ℎ𝑟
SOLUTION:
@ State 3: P3= 0.4 MPa, 400 oC
@ State 1: P1= 4.0 MPa, 600oC, SH h3 = 3273.4 kJ /kg and s3= 7.8985 kJ/kg-K
h1 = 3674.4 kJ /kg and s1= 7.3688 kJ/kg-K
@ State 4: P4= 0.01 MPa, (s3 = s4) → SLVM
@ State 2: P1= 0.4MPa, s1 = s2 sf < s4 < sg

s2 = 7.3688 kJ/kg-K > sg = 6.8959 kJ/kg-K, Sf = 0.6493 kJ/kg-K, Sfg = 7.5009 kJ/kg-K,
s2 > sg , SH hf = 191.83 kJ/kg, hfg = 2392.8 kJ/kg ,

@ Table 3: P1= 0.4MPa and s2 = 7.3688 kJ/kg-K s3 = s4

s4 = sf + xsfg
By Interpolation:
7.8985 = 0.6493 + x4 (7.5009)
2943.6 7.3392
x4 = 0.9664
h2 7.3688
h4 = hf + x4hfg
2964.2 7.3789
= 191.83 + 0.9664(2392.8)

h4= 2504.23 kJ/kg

h2 = 2959.96 kJ/kg
 SOLUTION:
Solving for cycle efficiency, e
@ State 5: sat. liquid @ 0.010 MPa
a. QA total
h5 = 191.83 kJ /kg, hf @ 0.010 MPa
QA total = (h1 – h6 )+ ( h3 – h2 ), ( kJ/kg
QA total = (3674.4 – 195.86 )+ (3273.4 – 2959.96 )
Solving for h6
QA total = 3791.98 kJ/kg
h6 = WP + h5
b. WT = (h1 - h2)+ (h3 - h4), kJ/kg
h6 = v5( P6- P5) + h5, kJ/kg
WT = (3674.4 - 2959.96)+ (3273.4 - 2504.23)
v5 =0.0010102 m3/kg, vf @ 0.010MPa WT = 1483.61 kJ/kg

h6 = 0.0010102( 4000- 10 )+ 191.83 Wp = h6 - h5

Wp = 195.86 - 191.83
h6 =195.86 kJ/kg
Wp = 4.03 kJ/kg

h1 = 3674.4 kJ /kg h2 =h2959.96 kJ/kg h3 = 3273.4 kJ /kg

1 = 3674.4 kJ /kg h2 = 2959.96 kJ/kg h3 = 3273.4 kJ /kg
h4= 2504.23 kJ/kg h5 =h191.83 kJ /kg h6 =195.86 kJ/kg
4= 2504.23 kJ/kg h5 = 191.83 kJ /kg h6 =195.86 kJ/kg
𝑐 . 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦, 𝒆𝒕𝒉

𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 𝑊𝑇 −𝑊𝑃
𝒆𝒕𝒉 = =
𝑄𝐴 𝑄𝐴

1483.61−4.03
=
3791.98
= 0.3902 , 39.02%

3600
𝑑 . 𝑆𝑅 =
𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡

3600
𝑆𝑅 = 1483.61−4.03= 2.43 kg/kW-hr

h1 = 3674.4 kJ /kg h2 = 2959.96 kJ/kg h3 = 3273.4 kJ /kg

h4= 2504.23 kJ/kg h5 = 191.83 kJ /kg h6 =195.86 kJ/kg